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This recipe combines the divine union of spicy crab and silky salmon, but without the fuss of rolling sushi. Welcome to the world of Sushi Balls! These bite sized wonders are a game changer for anyone who has found themselves wrestling at their sushi mat or swearing at the seaweed 😊 This recipe is so versatile, is perfect for a laid back dinner at home or an appetizer that’s sure to impress. You can make them ahead, chill, and serve them with the most delicious sauce. You’ll never go back after you try these!
If you are having a dinner party and want more than bites, try my Sushi Bundt Cake.
Why You’ll Love Sushi Balls
You are going to love these sushi balls because these little guys pack a punch of taste with every bite. The spicy crab has a kick that balances perfect with fresh velvety salmon. This recipe is also so easy to modify. You can enjoy it without the salmon on top, with just veggies, the world is your sushi 🍣
How to Prepare Sushi Ball
🍚 Prepare Rice: Rinse the calrose rice 3-4 times until the water is clear. Soak it for about 20-30 min. Add the rice to the water in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil on medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover with the saucepan lid. Simmer until the water is competely absorbed, about 18-20 unites. Season it with rice vin, cane sugar, and pinch of salt. Let rest.
🦀 Prepare Your Crab: Steam your crab covered in a shallow pan with 1 inch boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Place it in an ice bath and get the crab meat out. Use a paper towels to pat dry it.
🌶️ Prepare the Mix: Mix the Japanese mayo, sriracha, sesame oil, tamari together and add the crab, Serranos, cucumber, carrot , scallions and cooled down rice. Let it sit in the fridge for about 30-60 min.
🥣 Prepare the Sauce: Place everything for your dipping sauce in a food processor and process into desired texture.
🔪 Prepare the Salmon: Slice your salmon super thin.
🍣 Assemble: Add sesame oil to your hands and start forming the ‘bolitas.’ Yields about 16.Serve with Serrano on top and the dipping sauce and that is it!
Substitution and Variations
- You can use imitation crab instead of real crab and that will save you some time while making this recipe.
- Instead of tamari, you can use a low sodium soy sauce.
- This dish is very versatile with its toppings. Instead of salmon, you can skip the salmon and eat it plain, switch up the fish that you use on top or even top it with avocado slices.
- Feel free to use regular mayonnaise as opposed to kewpie mayo. Alternatively, if you’re dairy-free you can use Vegenaise instead.
Chef’s Tip
If you’re short on time, you can make the rice a day ahead and use imitation crab.
Similar Recipes
Common Questions
You can store leftover in an airtight container in the fridge. The sushi balls should be consumed within 1-2 for best flavor. But the dipping sauce can last up to 3 days in the fridge.
You can but the rice may harden a bit in the fridge. It really does taste best if eaten right away.
For this recipe, I used Calrose Rice by Botan.
Sushi Ball
Ingredients
Prepare Rice
- 1 cup calrose rice
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp cane sugar
- 1 pinch salt
Prepare Sushi Mixture
- 4 oz sushi grade salmon, thinly sliced
- 1 lb snow crab clusters, I use real but you can use imitation
- 1/3 cup japanese mayo
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 3-4 tbsp sriracha
- 1/4 cup scallions
- 1 cucumber, thinly chopped and pat dried to remove extra moisture
- 1 carrot, shredded
- black sesame seeds
- 1 serrano, chopped
Rice
- 1 cup calrose rice
- 2 tbsp rice vin
- 1.5 tbsp cane sugar
- pinch of salt
Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 orange, juice
- 1 handful cilantro, or to taste
- 1/2 serrano pepper
- 1/4 cup scallions
- 3 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 lemon, juice
- 2 tbsp peanuts
Instructions
Prepare the Rice
- Rinse the calrose rice 3-4 times until the water is clear. Soak it for about 20-30 min.
- Add the rice to the water in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil on medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover with the saucepan lid. Simmer until the water is competely absorbed, about 18-20 unites. Season it with 2 tbsp rice vin, 1.5 tbsp cane sugar, pinch of salt. Let rest.
Prepare Your Crab
- Steam your crab covered in a shallow pan with 1 inch boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Place it in an ice bath and get the crab meat out. Use a paper towels to pat dry it.
Prepare the Mix
- Mix the Japanese mayo, sriracha, sesame oil, tamari together and add the crab, Serranos, cucumber, carrot , scallions and cooled down rice. Let it sit in the fridge for about 30-60 min.
Prepare the Sauce
- Place everything for your dipping sauce in a food processor and process into desired texture.
Prepare the Salmon
- Slice your salmon super thin.
Assemble
- Add some sesame oil on your hands and start forming the ‘bolitas.’ Yields about 16.
- Serve with Serrano on top and the dipping sauce and that is it!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
